Device for eliminating the printing of impressions on impressioncylinder packings



Oct. 11, 1927. 1,645,469

F. J. ALBERT DEVICE FOR ELIMINATING THE PRINTING OF IMPRESSIONS ON IMPRESSION CYLINDER PACKINGS Filed Jan. 1927 INVENTOR WITNESSES v Emmi flwfm ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rmx a. main; or wnsi new YORK, New JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR ELIKINATING THE PRINTING- OF ILM PRESSIONS QN 111933851011- GYLIN'DER'PAGKINGS.

Application filed January 1927- serial WM -REISSU This invention relates to the art of printing and has particular relation to an attachment for cylinder printing presses of .the McKee four-color type, comprehendin a device for protecting the packing of the 1mpression cylinder against receiving an im pression from the form, upon failure of a sheet to be fed on to the impression cylinder by the feeder when said feeder is automatically stopped by the automatic throwotf mechanism.

Up to the present time a considerable amount of packing and an enormous number of sheets are wasted due to the failure of a sheet to be fed on to the impression cylinder when the feeler is automatically thrown out of operation by a defective sheet or a defectively fed sheet, which results in the contact of the form with the bare packing. In presses of or similar to the McKee four-color type, the impression cylinder accommodates two circumferentially spaced sheets and when'the feeder and press are stopped by the automatic throw-oil? mechanism the delivery cylinder invariably removes one of the sheets while the impression cylinder due to its momentum continues to revolve -a suflicient distance to eifect a contact with the form and the printing of an impression upon the impression cylinder packing. In view of the fact that the repacking of the impression cylinder requires a considerable len th of time, it has been found more profita le to start the press after the obstruction has been removed and to run off a suflicient number of sheets to wear 011' the impression printed on the impression cylinder packing. It is apparent that these impressions are transferred on to the back of the sheets which are subsequently fed over the packing having the impression thereon and these sheets are subsequently segregated and .discarded by persons employed for this purpose alone, which entails a further item ofexpense sought to be eliminated. After a number of superimposed irnpressions are registered upon the packing, it must of necessity be removed, destroyed and replaced, due to the fact that the su erimposed impressions increase the circum erence of the impression cylinder to such an extent as to aflect the quahty of the work produced, When this occurs during the workmg'hours,

' remain idle.

it is obvious that considerable loss is --entalled due to the length of time r uired for re-packing, while the press must 0 necessity It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide means operable by. the automatic throw-01f mechanism, which will prevent the sheet on the'im res- S1011 cylinder from being released an removed therefrom by the delivery cylinder when the feeder fails to feed a subse uent sheet to the impression cylinder by virtue of the automatic throw-off mechanism being actuated.

The invention when applied to McKee four-color presses or other presses similar thereto, more specifically'comprehends gripper actuating cams which are connected to and are operable by and simultaneously with the automatic throw-off mechanism of the feeder and press to prevent the usual functioning of the grippers of the impression cylinder to release the sheet and the grippers of the delivery cylinder to open and close to take off the sheet, thereby permittin the sheet to remain on the impression cylin er to cover and protect the packing and receive a second impression. In this manner it is ob- VlOllS therefore that. only a sin le sheet is wasted in lieu of a number of s eets, while the packing is full protected.

Other objects 0 the invention reside in the simplicity of construction of the attachment or device, the economy ith which the same may be produced and installed without the necessity of materially altering the press,

feeder or throw-off mechanism,and the genleral efficiency derived from the device.

With the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following specification and accompanying drawings inv which there is exhibited one example or em.-

bodiment of the invention which is in no way intended asa limitation upon the scope of the appended claims as it is to be clearly unddistood that variations and modifications which properly fall within the sec of said claims may .be resorted to when und expedient. I

,In the drawin Figure 1 is'a ragmentary side view of a press equipped .with a device constructed in accordance with one embodiment of thevin- "bends means, such as illustrated or any.

vention and with parts broken away and illustrated in section to disclose the underly ing structure;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the press with the device installed thereon.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates the frame of the press, B the impression cylinder, the 'surface or periphery of which is covered with one or more packing strips C. The impression cylinder B is further provided with one or more sets of grippers D secured to a transverse rock shaft E mounted or journaled in the cylinder and which rock shaft has secured thereto rock arms F normally engaged and actuated by a spring or other suitable means G for closing the grippers D to clamp and maintain the sheets on the impreesion cylinder and over the packing strips C. At present the framework has rigidly supported therefrom a cam H, which is disposed in the path of movement of cam rollers. I carried by the rock arms F so that at a particular point in the cycle of movement of the impression cylinder, the grippers are opened and closed. A delivery cylinder J is mounted in the frame and this cylinder is provided with grippers K which are disposed in staggered relation to the grippers D of the impression cylinder, and which grippers are secured to a transverse rock shaft L mounted on the delivery cylinder J. The rock shaft L has secured thereto a rock arm M which is normally engaged and actuated by a spring or other equivalent means N to swing the grippers to a closed position. A cam O is rigidly supported by the frame A and is disposed in the path of movement of a cam roller P on the rock arm M so that at a particular point in the cycle of move ment of the delivery cylinder, the grippers K thereof are opened to receive and are subsequently closed to grip and remove the sheets from the impression cylinder. As heretofore stated up to the present time when the feeder, not shown, fails to deliver a sheet to the impression cylinder due to the fact that the automatic throw off mechanism Q is actuated to stop the feeding by reason of a defective sheet being fed or a sheet being defectively-fed, the momentum of the press causes the impression cylinder to rotate a suificient distance to cause the previously fed sheet or one of the previously feed sheets to be removed by the delivery cylinder and the exposed packing strip is presented to and receives a printed impression from the form. The present invention, therefore, compreequivalent means, which will prevent the removal of the sheet or one of the sheets when this condition occurs. This means as shown by way of illustration, consists 1n so mountin the cams H and O that the active surfaces and S thereof'will be disposed out menace cover and protect the packing and receive a second impression from the form.

As specificallyillustrated, one way of accomplishing the object and purpose of the invention consists in pivotally mounting the cams H and O on pivots or fulcrums 10 and 11 so that they are capable of being swung laterally to dispose their activefaces which ordinarily engage the cam rollers I and P, out of the path of movement of said cam rollers. Springs or other equivalent means 12 and 13 respectively coact with the hinged, fulcrumed, or pivoted cams H and O to dispose the same in a normal position in the path of movement of the cam rollers I and P. In order to provide means for swinging the cams H and O laterally or out of the path of movement of the cam rollers I and P, which means will be actuated by the automatic throw-off mechanism at the instant when said mechanism is actuated, flexible elements 14 and 15, such as cables are attached to the cams or sections of the cams H and O, which are pivotally mounted and said. elements are trained around suitable guides, such as sheaves 16 and 17 mounted on brackets 18 and 19 carried by the main frame A of the press. The flexible elements may be separately connected to an arm 20' which is attached to a moving part of the throw-off mechanism or may be joined to a common element or cable 21 which is in turn connected with the arm 20. It is, of course, ob vious that when the automatic throw-off mechanism is reset, the tension or pull previously exerted on the cables 14:, 15 and 21 will be slackened and the springs 12 and 13 will return the cam H and the movable portion of the cam O'to normal active operating position.

In practice on the McKee type of press,

it has been found advisable to make only a part or section of the delivery cylinder cam 0 hinged or pivoted as illustrated, so that the grippers K may open and release a sheet previously removed from the impression roller, by allowing the cam roller P to engage a portion of theactive surface D to open and release the grippers but to cause the grippers to be closed prior to reaching the point Where they are normally opened to receive the sheet from the impression cylinder. Itis manifest that the removal or disposal of the active faces of the cams out of the path of movement of the cam rollers may be accomplished in various and divers.

- that a press not equip wa s, and, as heretofore stated, the manner an means shown is intended merely to illustrate one manner or way in which the invention ma be reduced to practice and is not intende to limit the invention to the precise details disclosed. I

In conclusion and in order that those who are skilled in or familiar with the art to which the invention relates, may appreciate the saving which a device of this character accomplishes, it has been actuall observed ed with such a device, will, on an average, t row off automatically at least once an hour, and that each time thls throw-off occurs, ten or twelve sheets must be discarded and wasted due to the printing on the back from an impression registered on the packing. This results in addition to the waste of sheets, a consequent waste of the packing strips which must be removed and destroyed after a predetermined number of superimposed impressions are registered thereon and a loss entailed by the idleness of the press, withouttaking into consideration the necessity of employing skilled persons to segregate and discard the ruined sheets. It has been fairly accurately estimated that these losses amount to thousands of dollars a year for each press.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing press of the character specified which is equipped with a sheet feeder having an automatic throw-off mechanism'controlled by said feeder; means operable by and with the throwoff mechanism when actuated, for preventin the normal opening of the impression and elivery cylin der grippers to effect the release of the sheets from the impression cylinder and for removal by the delivery cylinder, whereby'to cause the sheet on the impression cylinder to remain thereon for protecting the packing and preventing an impression being registered thereon.

2. In a printing press which is equipped with a sheet feeder having an automatic throw-oft mechanism, means for mounting the gripper actuating cams of the impression and delivery cylinders to allow for their movement from a normal active position to an inactive position, and means connecting said cams with the automatic throw-off mechanism to dispose the same in their inactive position when the automatic throw-off mechanism is actuated whereby to cause the sheet on the impression cylinder to remain thereon for protecting the packingand preventing an impression being registered thereon.

3. In a printing press which is equipped with a sheet feeder having an automatic throw-off mechanism, means for' mounting the gripper actuating cams of the impression and delivery cylinders for movement from a normal active to an inactive position, and means for connecting said cams with the and delivery therefrom.

automatic throw-ofi mechanism to render the said cams inactive when the automatic throw-01f mechanism is actuated, whereby to cause the sheet on the impression cylinder to remain thereon and to prevent its removal 4. In a printin press which is equippedwith a sheet fee er having an automatir throw-01f mechanism, means for mounting the gripper actuating cams of the impression and delivery cylinders to permit of the disposal of the active faces of the cams out of the normal path of movement of the gripper cam rollers, and a connection between said camsand the automatic throw-oil mechanism to cause the disposal of the active faces of the cams out of the normal path of movement of the gripper cam rollers, Whereby when the automatic throw-off mechanism is actuated, the sheet or sheets on the impression cylinder will be retained thereon and from.

5. In a printing press which is equipped with a sheet feeder, an automatic throw-01f mechanism controlled by the feeder for stopping said feeder and press when actuated,

said press including an impression cylinder, grippers carried by said cylinder, alternately closed and opened' to effect the gripping and release of the sheets fed through the press, and means operable by and with the automatic throw-off mechanism when actuated for preventing the normal opening of the grippers and the release of the sheets on prevented from being delivered therethe impression cylinder upon failure of the feeder to feed a .subsequent sheet whereby when the automatic throw-off mechanism 1s actuated the sheet or sheets on the impression cylinder will be retained thereon to protect t e packing and to prevent an impression being registered on said packing.

6. In a printing press equipped with a feeder for feeding sheets to the im ression cylinder, an impression cylinder, a elivery cylinder, means for holding the sheets in place upon said impression cylinder during the period of operation in which the sheets are receiving the printed impression, means on said delivery cylinder for holding the sheets successively in place thereon during the delivery of the sheets by the delivery cylinder as the are received by it from the impression cy inder, automatic throw-01f mechanism effective to render said feeder.

matic throw-01d for stopping the feeder and press, impression and delivery cylinders, normally closed grippers carried by said cylinders, coacting means connected with the grippers and carried by the press respectively for opening the. grippers to feed and release the sheets fed through the press, and means operable by and with the automatic throW-ofi mechanism when actuated for pre ventin coaction of the coacting means to open the grippers of the impression and delivery cylinders whereby to prevent the release and removal of the sheet on the impression cylinder by the delivery cylinder upon failure of the feeder to feed a subsequent sheet.

8. In a printing press which is equipped with a feeder having an automatic throwofl mechanism, means for mounting the gripper actuating cam-s of the impression and delivery cylinders to allow for lateral swinging movement of the samefrom a normal active position to an inactive position, and means of connection between the laterally movable portions of said cams and the automatic throw-off mechanism for instantly moving the same laterally from their active to their inactive position when the autoneeaeea matic throw-off mechanism is actuated whereby to prevent the normal operation of the grippers-and to cause the sheet on the impression cylinder to remain thereon to protect the packing and to prevent an impression being registered on said packing.

9. In a printing press of the character specified, means for receiving and presenting a sheet to be printed to the printing forms, and automatic means controlled by the sheet feeder for preventing the normal operation of the sheet-receiving and presentingmeans in event of the failure of the feeder to feed a sheet thereto.

10. In a printing press of the character specified, means for receiving and presenting a sheet to be printed to the printing forms, and automatic means controlled by the sheet feeder for preventing the normal operation of said sheet receiving and presenting means to cause the retention of the last printed sheet on the sheet-receiving and presenting means in event of failure of the sheet feeder to feed a subsequent sheet thereto whereby to protect the sheet-receiving and presentingv means from directly receiving an impression from the printing forms.

FRANK J. ALBERT. 

